


Nothing Changes, Days Go By

by goodisrelative



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-19
Updated: 2009-02-19
Packaged: 2017-10-18 04:18:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/184899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodisrelative/pseuds/goodisrelative
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>He wears the mask of a human well.</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Changes, Days Go By

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [](http://pixie-on-acid.livejournal.com/profile)[**pixie_on_acid**](http://pixie-on-acid.livejournal.com/) for betaing! We both found a new fandom to love! The title is a line from Godsmack’s song _Serenity_.

_**Mentalist Fic: Nothing Changes, Days Go By, PG**_  
 _Title:_ Nothing Changes, Days Go By  
 _Author:_ [](http://goodisrelative.livejournal.com/profile)[**goodisrelative**](http://goodisrelative.livejournal.com/)  
 _Rating:_ PG-13  
 _Characters/Pairing:_ Patrick Jane, Heather (episode character) / none  
 _Spoilers:_ Scarlett Fever  
Summary: _He wears the mask of a human well._

 _Author’s Note:_ Thanks to [](http://pixie-on-acid.livejournal.com/profile)[**pixie_on_acid**](http://pixie-on-acid.livejournal.com/) for betaing! We both found a new fandom to love! The title is a line from Godsmack’s song _Serenity_.  


* * *

  
  
She can see the desperation in his eyes when he asks her if it helped, if it was worth it. If killing the woman who destroyed her world changed anything.

She wishes she could give him the answer he craves, but she can’t give a false promise. All she has left is the cold, hard truth and he needs to know it. “No, it changes nothing.”

Her answer stings; she can see him flinch as if the blow she delivers with words is physical. But she can read his eyes. He knew that would be her answer as much as he wanted a different one.

She can see, though, that her answer changes nothing for him. The resolve built over years is there still. He will kill a man. She can’t change his mind, even if she wanted to.

She’s sorry – he is a good man, from what she’s seen, and she wonders what happened in his past to make him crave vengeance. But, she’s resigned, too. She knows the fires of hell that burn inside of him.

She wonders just how much of that he lets his team see and knows it’s nothing at all. He wears the mask of a human well. Only another vessel of vengeance can see that what’s left isn’t human at all.  



End file.
